Colebridge provide a strong challenge to hosts Free Church

Sam Weaving fought back from match-point down to win the Grade A final. Picture: Morris Troughton

Published:11:17Saturday 25 November 2017

Lillington Free Church’s second graded tournament of the season attracted a full entry to St Nicholas Park Leisure Centre in Warwick including a strong contingent from the Colebridge club in Birmingham, writes Phil John.

This was soon evident in the morning events where Lee Holtham and Hawley Ellicott reached the semi-finals of the senior event against Free Church duo Dave Ramsey and Sam Weaving.

Holtham got the better of Ramsey and Hawley defeated Weaving to set up an all-Colebridge final which Holtham won in five.

In the junior event, Free Church’s Emily Beasley overcame clubmate Lewis Singleton in one semi-final with Rugby’s Callum Ball successfully contesting the other semi against Bethany Brewer of Blaenafon. Beasley went on to clinch the crown.

Colebridge players showed their strength in the cadet competition with Henry Belcher beating Church’s Josh Yarrow in the first semi and Jack Simcox edging out another Church player, Joe Shrimpton, in his last-four clash.

Belcher proceeded to conquer his Colebridge clubmate in the final.

Three Church players reached the last four of the under-13 event. Owain Jones fell to Colebridge’s Harry Simcox and Eleanor Fletcher accounted for George Barnes. Simcox took the final against the gallant Fletcher.

Lillington’s players turned the tables a little in the afternoon, providing three of the semi-finalists in the Grade A event.

However, Weaving won a close final despite finding himself 2-0 down in sets and 10-8 down in the third.

In the Grade B, Callum Ball clinched his semi-final against Josh Yarrow to face another Lillington player, Tom Fletcher, who had an excellent win over Jerry Simmons of St George’s. Ball duly won the final.

In the Grade C, Henry Belcher defeated Lillington’s Jerry Chung to reach the final where he met Kidlington’s Jamie McNeil who had beaten Sam Slatter of Blaenafon and duly came out on top.

The improvers’ event saw Joe Shrimpton against Tyler Humphries of Rugby in one semi and Owain Jones face Lillington clubmate Jake Simmons in the other.

Shrimpton and Jones reached the final with the former taking the spoils.

Finally, Lillington’s Nathan Jackson, on his competitive debut, lost 3-1 to Colebridge’s Thomas Martin in the beginners’ final. Jacomo Lubrano, and Alfie Ransom, both of Free Church, were the beaten semi-finalists.